My Deer Garden

Plant record · Perennial

Is Hyssop deer resistant?

Hyssopus officinalis

Botanical illustration of hyssop
Photo by Otto Wilhelm Thomé, Public domain. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 1 of 4 · Rarely Damaged

Yes. Deer almost always leave this alone.

Type
Perennial
Hardiness
Zones 4–9
Light
Full sun
Height
18–24 in
Bloom
Summer and Fall
Maintenance
Low

Damage steps follow a published university field scale. How plants are rated.

About Hyssop

Narrow aromatic leaves and deep blue flower spikes that bees work hard. Clips into a low informal hedge and takes drought without complaint.

Do deer eat hyssop?

Rarely. Rutgers rates Hyssopus officinalis Rarely Damaged, A, Iowa State lists it in the top tier of herbs, and NC State: "Well-established plants are drought-tolerant as well as resistant to browsing by deer." It is a mint relative with a camphor scent, and it sits with lavender and catmint in the group a deer does not test. This is the culinary hyssop; anise hyssop, Agastache, is a different plant with the same rating.

Where it grows

NC State: zones 4a to 9b, 1 1/2 to 2 feet, full sun or partial shade, blue spikes summer into fall, resisting drought, dry soil, erosion and poor soil. Its one listed problem is "Short-lived," four or five years, and it clips into a low hedge that bees work.

Protecting hyssop

Nothing.

If it is browsed

It regrows from the woody base and flowers on the new growth; shearing after bloom is standard. A short-lived plant is replaced from cuttings or seed long before a deer replaces it.

Soil and care

Soil pH
6 to 7.5
Drainage
Sharp, gritty. Will rot in wet soil
Water
Low
Spacing
12 to 18 in apart
Growth rate
Moderate
Maintenance
Low

Similar to Hyssop

Other perennials with the same deer rating.

Where Hyssop grows

Hardy across every state on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering. Select any state, including one it will not grow in, for what is resistant there.

Alabama — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — hardy here. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — hardy here. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.California — hardy here. Zones 7 to 10.Colorado — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — hardy here. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — hardy here. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — hardy here. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Montana — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Nebraska — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Nevada — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New Hampshire — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.New Jersey — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New York — hardy here. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.
Hardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone

Common questions about Hyssop

Is Hyssop deer resistant?
Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) is rated Rarely Damaged, step 1 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Deer almost always leave this alone.
What hardiness zones does Hyssop grow in?
Hyssop is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Hyssop grow in shade?
No. Hyssop wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
How big does Hyssop get?
Mature height is roughly 18–24 in. Growth rate is moderate.

Browse from here

Every list Hyssop belongs to.

All perennials·Rarely damaged·Full sun plants

Hardy in these zones

Zone 4·Zone 5·Zone 6·Zone 7·Zone 8·Zone 9

Damage ratings follow the four-step field scale published by Rutgers University. Growing data is compiled from state extension sources and still being verified record by record. Last reviewed .